Undercurrents: The River as Metaphor brings together works that address modernity by reflecting on the Hudson River: its history, its grandeur, and its singular ability to provide us with a roadmap for meeting the challenges we face in the course of everyday life.

Moving freely across disciplines and media, from drawings and paintings to photographs, video installations and sculptural installations, Undercurrents poses probing questions about our conceptions of and relationships with the river that defines our region: What are the perspectives of contemporary artists living along the Hudson River, and how are they reflected in their art? Can we look to the history of the Hudson Valley to anchor our moral sensibilities? How can the river and the artists it inspires guide us through the ongoing process of adjusting to new norms and realities?

This year, 41 artists were selected to showcase their work from more than 190 submissions:

For the eighth consecutive year, one or more of these artists will see their work added to the Dorsky’s permanent collection through the Hudson Valley Artists’ Annual Purchase Award, which is made possible by the Alice and Horace Chandler Art Acquisition Fund. Artists whose work has been purchased in the past include Nestor Madalengoita, Richard Edelman, Deb Lucke, Holly Hughes, Stephen Niccolls, Patrick Kelley, Adie Russell, Elisa Pritzker, Charles Geiger, and Curt Belshe and Lise Prown, among others.

Livia Straus is the director and co-founder of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art (HVCCA) in Peekskill, N.Y., a non-profit organization dedicated to developing exhibitions and interdisciplinary programs that enrich our understanding of contemporary art and its relationship to social issues.